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With the rate at which telecom companies are mashing up all these very enticing offers on data, I’m getting way too scared for our voice calls
Hhhhmmmmmm….what am I even saying?

Photo credit: Africell Uganda

Let’s fall back a bit, to basic definitions and explanations

In the simplest of explanations, when I say data, I’m referring to all this airtime that is converted into surf time and ability on the internet, on our handheld gadgets like mobile phones, in this particular case
And when it comes to the voice, I’m looking at the airtime that is converted into real-calling time, over our handheld gadgets
Take note that when we are using our data, we can still make these real-time calls that we are talking about….. But for today, we aren’t focusing on this angle

Photo credit: guru8.net

Back in the day, when all this stuff about Facebook, Twiirraaa, Snapchat, IG’ing wasn’t even there yet, how was it?
How did you go about your day?
Were you guys worried as much as we are, today, about our smart life
And whatever the world thinks about us, if we don’t post a single selfie from last evening?

Photo credit: 9to5google.com

I can’t blame the guys that make these gadgets, for the world is going smarter, by the second
They don’t hold us at gun-point to buy all their fancy products
Hey mehn….somebody’s just trying to make a buck here and there, ain’t that right?
I believe we have chosen this path where we don’t have to look into our phone missed-call log for like a year
All these messaging apps have taken up our time for some real convoz with our friends and family, sleep, meals, exercising and fitness, adventure into the wilderness for a weekend or two
I don’t even the last time I saw some of my brothers and sisters
For we are always Skyping the day away
Showing off all our latest clothes, tattoos, shoes, phones and even cars
Well, sometimes, we kinda do the co-counseling thingie where we share about all our experiences that we’ve made in the recent past and cry and laugh over them

Photo credit: barkingbateria.co.uk

Dope, right?

As we were, we were still trying to find out what might happen to voice in the next few months
Here, in my Uganda, I hear rumors that many big players are now crossing their investments over into other “profitabilities” like real estate to support the communication backbone
How true that is, I don’t even know but my suspicions have gathered up some dust on them
And then, when you look into their books, you notice the down-ward sloping red lines after the black and the blue
Which means somebody isn’t doing sooo well like they used to, back in the day, when even owning a mobile phone was a total luxury and using one, was a total privilege for the very few in society

Photo credit: techjaja.com

Truth be told, I miss the voice era
And I know, I’m not the only one out there that is this way or sees life this way
The simplicity in there
No need for so many codes to be pressed into the keypad
Or gazing at the screen for a message

Photo credit: youtube.com

All you wait for, is a loud ring, for the voice
Now, with all this Whatsapp and Telegram and FaceTime, I can only ask myself, “what’s going to happen to our voice?

Always laughing, living, loving and thinking about food. I'm so deeply concerned about health, young people, food and psychology.
Reggae gets me on another level with the way I see life and I enjoy reading.

Hmm, in some ways you are right, but I do not think our voice is only what we speak; it is also present in what we write. And also, while we may be using more text to communicate over distance, we usually use our voice in real life so I think it balances out.

Whether we like it or not, social media, technology etc have come to stay and more are even in the pipeline. The way we handle all these and manage our time and space is what matters. After all, we need to gain control and not be unnecessarily carried away.

While I am grateful for my phone and how advanced technology has gotten and everything, I mean at the end of the day, I work for a living from my phone + computer, but I totally believe we have veered off of important things like talking face to face, and putting the phone down and living life. it has its pros and cons. I try to take time off and just be.

I miss the voice era too. I know that I have tried to unplug from time to time because I want to connect for real with people. But when the rest of the world is still attached to their gadgets like their life depends on it, it’s hard to connect. It’s hard to get real.

I often think about things like this as well. As an 80’s baby, I grew up before cell phones and the internet took off, but I also appreciate social media and use it daily. I think balance is the key. Sometimes its better to actually call and speak with someone (or even do lunch and meet face to face) as opposed to sending a text.

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